But the online search leader’s effort to broaden its focus beyond smartphones and tablets was on full display as the company unveiled far-reaching plans to push further into the living room, the family car and the TV set.

Highlights from the I/O keynote:

• Google unveiled Android TV set-top box for televisions, which users can control with their voice

• Android Auto acts like an extension of its popular mobile software and will be completely voice-enabled. Google said the first cars running Android Auto will hit showrooms later this year and that it has signed on 40 auto-industry partners

• Three new smartwatches will run Android Wear. The LG G and the Samsung Gear Live are available on Wednesday on the Google Play store. A third one, Motorola’s Moto 360, is coming later this summer

• Android L: New operating system is designed to work across all devices as long as the gadgets are running the operating system, so a user can check email on a smartwatch, answer the message on a smartphone and then delete it on a computer, for example

• Android One initiative is designed to help manufacturers build low-cost smartphones for emerging markets. Google says it is working with three manufacturers to develop a sub-$100 smartphone for the Indian market this fall, getting Android software into one of the fastest-growing major mobile markets. The Android One phones would come with 4.5 inch screens, dual SIM cards and FM radio

About 6,000 developers, bloggers and journalists flocked to the event. Following Google’s recent revelation that showed that just 30% of its employees are women, the company touted that the number of women attending its conference grew to 20% this year from 8% a year earlier.

Google’s I/O event — a rally of sorts designed to get developers excited about creating apps and devices for Google’s ecosystem — comes at a time of transition for the company, which makes most of its money from advertising thanks to its status as the world’s leader in online search. The company is trying to adjust to an ongoing shift to smartphones and tablet computers from desktop and laptop PCs. Though mobile advertising is growing rapidly, advertising aimed at PC users still generates more money.

It also looks like the race is on to bring low-cost phones to emerging markets. BlackBerry recently launched its low-cost touchscreen Z3 phone in Indonesia, Vietnam, and India this week. Google is rolling out similarly priced phones, starting in India, through its Android One program.

Apple Inc. customers will soon be able to keep tabs on their health data, collecting and monitoring stats such as blood pressure and weight on one mobile app. That’s a step analysts see as the company taking a stride toward rolling out wearable technology of its own.

The platform, called HealthKit, was part of a new suite of features unveiled on Monday when Apple took the wraps off iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, operating platforms that power the company’s hardware.

Apple Inc. customers will soon be able to keep tabs on their health data, collecting and monitoring stats such as blood pressure and weight on one mobile app. That’s a step analysts see as the company taking a stride toward rolling out wearable technology of its own.

The platform, called HealthKit, was part of a new suite of features unveiled on Monday when Apple took the wraps off iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, operating platforms that power the company’s hardware.

How Apple’s new HealthKit could set the stage for wearable devices
Apple Inc. customers will soon be able to keep tabs on their health data, collecting and monitoring stats such as blood pressure and weight on one mobile app. That’s a step analysts see as the company taking a stride toward rolling out wearable technology of its own.
The platform, called HealthKit, was part of a new suite of features unveiled on Monday when Apple took the wraps off iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, operating platforms that power the company’s hardware.

Everyone wants to keep track of our vitals, it seems. Read our story on Apple’s HealthKit announcement at WWDC:

How Apple’s new HealthKit could set the stage for wearable devices
Apple Inc. customers will soon be able to keep tabs on their health data, collecting and monitoring stats such as blood pressure and weight on one mobile app. That’s a step analysts see as the company taking a stride toward rolling out wearable technology of its own.
The platform, called HealthKit, was part of a new suite of features unveiled on Monday when Apple took the wraps off iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, operating platforms that power the company’s hardware.

Google is showing you how Android Wear smartwatches will be part of a user’s activities from the time you wake up to when you go to bed: you can set reminders to pick up a mail package, check your heart rate when you go for a jog, and set your alarm from your wrist when you go to bed

If you recall, Apple’s new iOs also includes features controlling location data leaking from the phone. It randomizes the MAC addresses of the device, which marketers detect via wi-fi and bluetooth to track a device’s location and patterns.

A new version of Google’s Android mobile operating system is overdue. The latest version KitKat 4.4 was unveiled in October, and updates typically happen every five to eight months. (JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

Android TV would build on Chromecast, which Google unveiled last year. It’s a two-inch gadget that plugs in to the back of televisions and lets users stream YouTube and Netflix videos via their smartphones. (Tony Avelar/Bloomberg)

Android TV would build on Chromecast, which Google unveiled last year. It’s a two-inch gadget that plugs in to the back of televisions and lets users stream YouTube and Netflix videos via their smartphones. (Tony Avelar/Bloomberg)

Android TV would build on Chromecast, which Google unveiled last year. It’s a two-inch gadget that plugs in to the back of televisions and lets users stream YouTube and Netflix videos via their smartphones. (Tony Avelar/Bloomberg)

Last year, Google did not have any flashy, consumer-friendly product launches held at the San Francisco conference, but focused primarily on new technologies and services behind the scenes.

The technology company’s string of recent acquisitions gives major hints at the coming road map for Google.
In January, Google purchased smart thermostat and smoke alarm maker Nest Labs Inc. — marking a major foray into the connected home.

Like Apple and BlackBerry, Google is banking on the Internet of Things as part of its strategy, and it will likely be a topic during Wednesday’s keynote speech, and during the conference which runs from June 25 to 26 at the Moscone Center.

Last year, Google did not have any flashy, consumer-friendly product launches held at the San Francisco conference, but focused primarily on new technologies and services behind the scenes.

The technology company’s string of recent acquisitions gives major hints at the coming road map for Google.
In January, Google purchased smart thermostat and smoke alarm maker Nest Labs Inc. — marking a major foray into the connected home.

Like Apple and BlackBerry, Google is banking on the Internet of Things as part of its strategy, and it will likely be a topic during Wednesday’s keynote speech, and during the conference which runs from June 25 to 26 at the Moscone Center.